Iconic 1980s Ferrari grand tourer that came in for total refresh

We completed restoration work on this 1988 Ferrari 412 2+2 coupe to reverse the problems caused by extended storage. Fortunately the car was never the victim of crash damage or rust, but needed to be revived mechanically and to have some cosmetic issues attended to.

Step one was to flush all old liquids from their systems—oil, fuel, brake fluid and coolant—and replace along with fresh filters. Inspection revealed the need for some brake and exhaust repairs and then, with the 412 running like new, we moved on to the interior. Although still soft and pliable, the off-white leather seats and door panels were dingy and had been poorly redyed in the past. Our specialist carefully scrubbed them clean and then a professional leather worker redyed them in the correct original color. While this was going on we removed the entire dash and console to recover with new leather, since the original material had shrunken. This is not a job for the fainthearted, as there are endless bundles of wiring that operate all this complicated car's electrical systems!

It takes an experienced hand to carefully label each bundle and circuit to assure it will all work again after reassembly. A whole hide of dark blue leather was ordered from Italy to recover all the separate parts of the dash, console and glove box, with our master upholsterer's indispensable touch to beautifully stitch all the pieces together.

After many week's time, the technicians then began a painstaking reassembly to complete the interior phase of the project. Next was a repaint after minimal bodywork. Careful body disassembly then went to fit and finish. Primer then paint, then a lot of sanding. The result is a very correct 412GT ready for the road.